Petroleum or like internal-combustion engine.



No. 660,338. Patented Oct. 23, I900. a. unosans.

PETROLEUM OR LIKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed July 7, 1899.) (lolodelI) s Sheets-Sheat r ill No. 660,338. Patented Oct. 23, I900.

' a. H. ROGERS. PETROLEUM 0R LIKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed July '7, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE News PETERS co, Pnm'ouflm. WASHWGTQN. u. c.

No. sso.ssa-.- Eatented Oct. 23, I900.

' G. H. ROGERS. PETROLEUM 0B LIKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed July 7, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HENRY ROGERS, OF PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC.

PETROLEUM OR LIKE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 660,338, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed July '7, 1899. Serial No. 723.067. (No model.) v

To all whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY ROGERS, engineer, residing at Pretoria, in the South African Republic, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Petroleum or Like Internal-Combustion Engines, (which were patented in Great Britain on the 13th day of December, 1898, No. 26,311,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to petroleum and like internal-combustion engines, embraces means for regulating'the supply of the liquid hydrocarbon employed for gasifying the said hydrocarbon and for compensating for the variation in pressure of the gas generated due to the conversion of a liquid to a gas, for the mode of governing the engine and the construction of the governor, and also the general arrangement of the engine as a whole.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig. 3,a transverse vertical section of the improved internal-combustion engine. Fig. 3 isa view, toa larger scale, of the compensator and air-inlet valve; and Figs. 4:, 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of certain parts of the engine.

In carrying out the invention and for the purpose of regulating the supply of the hy drocarbon fuel to a petroleum-engine the liquid fuel, fed by gravity or otherwise, passes through a valve A, which consists intrinsically of a casing containing a disk-seat perforated at the center in the ordinary manner and pierced concentrically by a tapered spindle B, whose greatest diameter is sufficiently large that the spindle B entirely closes the perforation when urged forward by a screw and hand-wheel O in the ordinary manner of a stop-valve. The taper of the spindle is so gradual that an appreciable rotation of the hand-wheel alters but little the area of the anwirecore and is converted therein into true oil-gas by the combined effect of the conducted heat of combustion and the disintegrating action of the gauze. From the gauzeroll F the oil-gas escapes into the central tube II of acoi'npensator G, attached to and formed in the combustion-chamber wall or the annex E, the compensator being open to the atmosphere by a small orifice or orifices G at its upper or outer end. This compensator is composed of an outer cylindrical casing closed at its bottom end and secured at that end on the annex E. At its top end the casing G is closed by a cover G having therein a hole or holes G and a depending cylinder G of such diameter as to leave an annular space between the outer casing G and itself. Into the exteriorof this depending cylinder G the tube H, which is in connection with the gauze-roll F, projects upward to near the top of said cylinder, this tube being of such diameter as to leave an annular space between itself and the depending chamber G The gas rises within the internal tube of the compensator, except when the sucking action of the cylinder-piston draws the gas downward into the combustion-chamber D, during the whole or a part of the induction-stroke; but the gas must flow by the tortuous passages formed by the above-described arrangement before reaching the outer casing G. While in the compensator G any pressure of the oil-gas is assimilated to atmospheric pressure by contact with the fluctuating volume of atmospheric air inthe outer casing G, and hence a uniform pressure of the igniting charge is maintained, which passes into the combustion-chamber D during the induction-stroke beneath an automatic ball-valve I, fitted at the bottom or inner end of the tube H, which valve I closes communication between the latter and the combustion-chamber D during the compression, motor, and exhaust strokes of the piston. The formation of oil-gas in the gauze F and its escape into the compensatingtube Gis continuous; but owing to the intricate passages in the compensating tube through which it would have to pass on its way to the atmosphere the gas has not time under ordinary working conditions in the intcrvals between the induction strokes to reach the outer atmosphere before being drawn back into the combustion-chamber D by induction. Only in case of excessive pressure being generated in the gas is the latter likely to expel all air from the outer casing Grand escape into the atmosphere. Although from each charge drawn in beneath the ballvalve a surplus is frequently (if not always) left in the tube, the said surplus remains a gas, does not mix with air, and is drawn in during the succeeding induction-stroke. An ordinary air-inlet valve H is provided, which is normally spring-held upon its seat and adapted to open on the induction-stroke to admit the charge of air necessary for the explosion.

Ignition of the charge is effected by means of a needle J, fixed to the inner surface of the exhaust-valve K at its center, forming a prolongation of the valves axis beyond the valveseat L into the exhaust-port M. In form it is a small sphere, made of iron, steel, porcelain, kaolin, or any other refractory material, attached by a narrow neck to the valve and having one radiating point on that side of it farthest away from the valve K. By the flames of successive explosions the needle J is maintained at igniting temperature, and owing to its position in the contracted exhaust-port M, which is always full of the inert products of combustion previous to compression of the explosive charge, ignition of the latter does not take place until the moment of greatest compression, when the said inert products are compressed into the port M below the point of the needle, which then,

uncovered, as it were, fires the compressed charge as the piston commences to advance; or, as shown, the igniting-needle placed in the exhaust-valve is preferably surrounded by a tube which projects into the combustionchamber, the inner end open to the explosive mixture, and the inert gases must be compressed in this tube until the igniting-pointis reached bythe explosive charge, when it is fired. The length of the needle is such that neither misfiring nor premature firing ever occurs.

Governing is effected through the exhaust.

When the normal speed of the engine is exceeded, a centrifugal governor N, acting through a movable cam 0 (shown at Figs. 3 and 5) on the lay-shaft P, holds the exhaustvalve K open for a variable portion of the induction-stroke, and thus by allowing some of the inert products of combustion to return to the cylinder D lessens the length of the explosive charge drawn in after the exhaustvalve is shut, so diminishing the force of the explosion, but not cutting it out altogether. A bell-crank lever Q, which opens the exhaust-valve, has two rollers Q Q one on each side of its outer arm. One roller Q is actuated by the positive exhaust-cam O, fixed on the lay-shaft in the ordinary way. The cam O, rotating around the lay-shaft and controlled by the governor, operates the other roller Q holding open the exhaust-valve K for a portion of the induction stroke, as above described. Normally the two cams O O' operate simultaneously. When the speed becomes abnormal, the governed cam hangs back, as it were, and prevents the exhaustvalve K from closing until the piston has advanced so far as is necessary to insure the requisite curtailment of the induction of the explosive charge.

The governor consists, essentially, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7, of a disk N, fixed onto the end of the lay-shaft P and having pivoted at N, near its circumference, at opposite ends of the same diameter, two heavy curved levers N of identical size and shape, which extend around the disk N, on opposite halves of the same side thereof, toward each others pivots, being connected and prevented from flying asunder by a spiral spring N across the center and at the back side of the disk N. The tension of the spring is adjusted by means of a thumb-screw and nuts N, which adjustment regulates the speed of the engine. The ends of the spring N are attached to two pins N projecting from the levers N through the disk, wherein slotted arcs N are provided for the pins centrifugal motion. A projecting finger or tooth N on each of the levers N equidistant from the center of the disk N, gears into a corresponding notch, slot, or tooth-space O on opposite sides of the cylindrical body of a cam O, causing the latter to rotate slightly in one direction when the levers N move contrifugally. The cam 0 retates upon the central boss N 8 of the disk N, which in turn is fixed to and rotates with the lay-shaft P.

Having now described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston therein, a combustion-chamber, an inlet-passage for liquid fuel, a passage communicating with the inlet in which the fuel is gasified, a passage leading therefrom to the combustion chamber, a tortuous passage also extending therefrom to a safety or pressure-regulating outlet G, an exhaust-valve, a shaft, a loose cam thereon and a governor operating said cam and delaying closing of the exhaustvalve during a variable portion of the induction-stroke.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston therein, a combustion-chamber, an inlet-passage for liquid fuel, a passage communicating with the inlet in which the fuel is gasified, a roll of gauze therein, a passage leading therefrom to the combustion-chamber, an automatic valve therein opened by the induction-stroke therein, said tube communicating also by a tortuous passage with an outlet G to the air, whereby a uniform pressure of the ignition charge is obtained, an igniting device, an exhaust-valve, a governor and devices operated thereby to control the exhaust-valve and igniting device.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY ROGERSA WVitnesses:

J OHN GARFIELD ROGERS, CHAS. E. MACRUM. 

